Oxford‚Äôs A Silent Film is back in the USA, touring in support of their new album Sand & Snow.
We previously caught the band on their first visit in 2013 and again last October 2015 and wrote, ‚ÄúOxford, UK
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English rock band A Silent Film recently got done touring with Silversun Pickups and made a stop at the 7th Street Entry on Monday night to play a headlining show.

Grayshot

Monday's show was opened up by local act Grayshot. Typically, these guys are a trio but they recently added a keyboardist which seemed to add a lot of depth to their calming lo-fi pop sound. Grayshot released "Borders" back on April 1st and it is available online.

A Silent Film formed in 2008 and have released three albums since then. Their first two albums, A City That Sleeps (2008) and Sand & Snow (2012), left fans pleading for more so in October of last year, the band released A Silent Film which was recorded in their hometown of Oxford, UK.

Singer Robert Stevenson and drummer Spencer Walker are the two members of this band although they have touring member to help fill out the line-up including a bassist and guitarist. It was hard to notice that this band is not typically a four piece and technically only a duo due to the cohesiveness of the group.

The music of A Silent Film is along the lines of Fitz & The Tantrums and The Killers. The music is extremely upbeat with a hint of a dance element to it but it's paired with depressing, heartbreaking lyrics. Even the though the darkness of the lyrics clash with the softness of the music, together they make something unique and truly beautiful.

Throughout the nine song set, the crowd was engaged and begging for more from Stevenson as he switched from vocals to the keyboard that was setup further back on the stage. The front of the stage was crowded with two giant drums on either side of the stage. These were pounded on during a couple of songs by Stevenson, the guitarist, and the bassist. The drums seemed to light up with every hit and added a very theatrical element.

Lighting seemed to be a strong suit for A Silent Film. At the back of the stage was a giant light up sign with the band name. It looked like something off of a marquee and would darken and lighten with beats during the music. This sign was joined by four clusters of lights that were bright enough to almost blind you. I'm sure this looks amazing at a bigger venue that they would play with Silversun Pickups at but at a small venue like 7th Street Entry, it was a bit much.

The set started and ended with songs off of Sand & Snow but the band played a little bit of everything during their set. It was a perfect mix of upbeat songs and slower songs. Regardless of what they were playing, each song was played with conviction and the feeling in the room was electric.

We caught Bayside last September 2015 and wrote that it was ‚ÄúAbsolute perfection‚Äù.
The American rock band is currently back on tour in support of their seventh studio album Vacancy
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New York City pop-punk favorites, Bayside, made a stop in Minneapolis on Sunday night in support of their newest release Vacancy (Hopeless Records).

Sorority Noise

Emo band Sorority Noise, from Hartford, Connecticut, was the first band to take the stage on Sunday night. These guys are fairly new to the scene but are quickly becoming a favorite throughout the scene. Their music is raw, just like people like their emo music, but it has a lot more energy that what is typically classified as emo. Singer Cam Boucher seemed a bit nervous as he addressed the crowd only to announce the band name and explain the meaning in the last two songs (the second to last song was about his bout with depression whereas the last song was about being happy with your life). However, Boucher did not seem nervous as he powered through the quick twenty-five-minute set with his raw emotions being laid out on the table.

Sorority Noise has released an EP and a few singles in the past couple of months but their newest full length Joy Departed came out in June of last year on Topshelf Records. All of their music is currently available on Bandcamp for download.

The Menzingers

The Menzingers was next, showing up on stage after the inspirational speech from Independence Day. This pop-punk (although leaning more towards the punk side) band from Philadelphia seems to be gaining speed and fans with each day that passes.

This band is not new to the scene as their first album A Lesson in the Abuse of Information Technology (they didn't play any songs off of this album) came out back in 2007 but they didn't seem to get the recognition they deserved until On the Impossible Past came out in 2012. Since then, these guys have been thrilling audiences with their great live shows which are full of energy and talent.

Tom May and Greg Barnett take turns at doing vocals for the band. It is easy to tell which singer is singing at any given time due to the drastic difference in their sounds but when they sing together it is truly a magical thing to hear.

The Menzingers played two new songs, "Lookers" and "Thick as Thieves" which will be on their upcoming release After the Party which is due out yet this year. The rest of the set was a good mix of songs from On The Impossible Past and Rented World (which came out in 2014). The set also included "I Was Born" from Chamberlain Waits.

Vacancy is Bayside's seventh full length since the band's conception in 2000. Their first album, Sirens and Condolences, was released in 2004 and since then, they have been consistently putting new music out there for their cult-like following.

Anthony Raneri

Singer Anthony Raneri told fans that the new album is not a break-up album, more an album that deals with the aftermath of a break-up. Raneri knows the feeling well as his wife left him shortly after her family moved from New York to Tennessee. As sad and tragic as this must have been for Raneri, it truly made this latest Bayside release a masterpiece due to the raw emotion that is found in, not only the lyrics, but the way the music is presented.

Bayside played through their entire lifetime of music including at least one song from each of their releases including "Masterpiece" from Sirens and Condolences. The crowd really seemed to respond more to the older songs but were not quick to dismiss the songs played from Vacancy. Bayside performed the sole cover of the night, "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers. The cover was beautifully executed and sounded very close to the original only with a little Raneri charm.

The crowd pushed and shoved as Bayside play through their 21-song set. Nobody in the crowd seemed disappointed, including myself. The energy in the room was intense and the emotions coming off of the stage were true. Bayside has been a staple in the pop-punk scene for years and with this new release and a new found emotion with Raneri, Bayside proved that they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

The tour is about half way done so if you have a chance, I highly suggest checking out one of the upcoming dates if it's coming to your area. The music is great and the atmosphere awesome. All in all, this tour is a great tour for the pop-punk kids out there that refuse to grow up!

Since Freddie Mercury's death in 1991, Queen has been without a regular lead singer. Various vocalists have temporarily joined on stage, including Elton John, Luciano Pavarotti,
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The biography Freddie Mercury: A Kind of Magic by Mark Blake is not only an engaging read; it‚Äôs also visually well-designed with bright colors and good flow, incorporating a mix of photos, text and quotes. The vast majority of these quotes were spoken by Freddie Mercury throughout his career. They appear in a large cursive font that attracts the eye. Also attractive to the eye are the book‚Äôs bright colors, including several fades from pink to orange to yellow.

Each chapter begins with a handy timeline, detailing the events to be discussed in the chapter and when they occurred.

This book contains photographs of all sizes, including 2-page spreads, of Freddie and Queen dating from 1958 ‚Äì 1991. All of the photos have captions, many of which begin with Queen song lyrics. Of particular interest is a full page print of Mick Rock‚Äôs iconic band photo for the Queen II album sleeve. The author has done a good job of collecting photos that capture the proud, flamboyant, one-of-a-kind spirit that is Freddie Mercury.

Author and music journalist Mark Blake grew up in the 70s and 80s listening to Queen and going to their shows. Blake bases the book‚Äôs contents on interviews with members of Queen, their friends, families and associates. Many of the interviews were conducted by the author himself. It‚Äôs a really good read; it pulls you in with its captivating stories and clever design theme. I had trouble putting it down.

Heavy Mahogany
Dread Crew of Oddwood Not Disney pirates...
Bawdy, rude, violent and funny; it is the essence of pirates. I can't help but smile listening to some songs.
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The Dread Crew of Oddwood brought their "heavy mahogany" brand of pirate metal to the Nether Bar in Minneapolis on Thursday night.

Don't laugh, pirate metal is a serious thing and The Dread Crew of Oddwood are the best in the business (if you ask me!).

The phrase "heavy mahogany" was coined by the band to be the style of music they play. As the singer explained to the crowd, it's like heavy metal, only wood, because pirates. Regardless of what you want to call the music of The Dread Crew of Oddwood, it's fun and different and more than worth your time to check out.

Pirate metal looks and sounds exactly like what you're picturing in your head right now. It's a bunch of grown-ass men dressed up as pirates, drinking out of wooden mugs, and singing jigs while swaying back and forth. The crowd is also exactly what you're thinking, a bunch of grown-ass people dressed up as pirates, drinking far too much, and dancing their butts off. It may sound juvenile and straight up stupid, but when you're at a show like the one I went to last night, you can't help but get wrapped up in the whole thing.

There are actually a bunch of pirate metal bands out there... enough to make a whole tour out of them last year which was called "Piratefest". That's how I got thrown into this fantasy world. I had no clue what pirate metal meant but I went to that tour featuring Alestorm, The Dread Crew of Oddwood, Swashbuckle, and a few other bands and completely fell in love with the scene.

The thing that sets The Dread Crew of Oddwood apart from majority of the other pirate metal bands I've seen is the fact that they only use traditional instruments instead of modern day electric guitars and basses. Many of the bands in this genre use keyboards to emulate the traditional sound but these guys are the real deal... accordion and all.

The crowd smiled as they watched Captain Wolfbeard O'Brady (yes, that is his name) headbang whilst playing the accordion. It was wacky, it was insane, and it was perfect. Boatswain Deckard Cordwain, who was on mandolin, had a hard time staying on the stage and often found himself dancing in the moshpit turned jig-dancing-pit. Bassist Smithy Crow seemed to have ants in his pants and couldn't stand still to save his life. He swayed back and forth and at times, held his upright bass like it was an electric guitar.

The Dread Crew Of Oddwood is not a new band. They have four studio albums out and a couple hilarious music videos. They self-released Lawful Evil (a reference to Dungeons & Dragons game rules) earlier this year and seemed to play many songs off of the new album but they did not neglect their other releases along with a handful of covers (none of which they played all the way through). They ended their all to short set with a beautiful rendition of a portion of George Michael's Careless Whisper. Just take a second to imagine what that would sound like when played on mandolin, accordion, and everything else.

The show only lasted an hour due to The Dread Crew of Oddwood being the sole band on the bill but the crowd seemed more than okay with that and lingered after the show for a couple more rounds and a bit of socializing with the pirates.

There was no hint to any future tour dates or upcoming releases but I highly suggest checking out the Dead Crew of Oddwood if you are a fan of things such as the movies Hook & The Pirate of the Carribean, eye patches, and peglegs!

The evening started with a brief 25-min set by The Chris Stamey Group, headed by, who else, Chris Stamey (famous for forming The Db's with Peter Holsapple).
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Television was formed in 1973 in New York City by Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell, Billy Ficca and Richard Lloyd. They began in 1972 as the Neon Boys, but changed their name to Television the following year.

They made their live debut at Townhouse Theatre, New York, NY in 1974.

Television was one of the first bands to play legendary music club CBGB in New York’s East Village.

On their official Facebook page, the band identifies with three musical genres: post- punk, new wave & rock.

Some of the band’s influences include The Rolling Stones and jazz icon Miles Davis. Television’s musical style is less bluesy and more about garage rock and jazz. One of their trademarks is their tendency toward lengthy guitar jams between lead and rhythm guitar.

In 1975, Television’s demo was turned down by Island Records, but the band was undeterred. They released the single “Little Johnny Jewel” on their own label- Ork- and the song became an underground hit. They signed with Elektra Records in 1976 and their debut album, Marquee Moon, was released in 1977.

Television broke up not long after the release of their sophomore album, Adventure (1978) to pursue solo careers or to join other bands.

Television briefly re-formed in 1991, signed with Capitol Records and released their third studio album, Television (1992).

Television disbanded once again in 1993, but the band continues to play together on and off.

Television provided inspiration for guitar-based post-punk bands of the late 70s and 80s, synth pop bands of the 80s and indie rock bands of the 90s.

On September 10, 2016, Television will play the Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA. A whole lot of people in Athens- a town known for its own collection of seminal bands, many of whom credit Television as an influence- are eagerly anticipating this show. Tickets are available through the Georgia Theatre’s website: georgiatheatre.com.

Chris Stamey (Alex Chilton, Sneakers, the dB’s) will open for Television.

Fans eagerly anticipate the as-yet-to-be-determined release of Television’s latest- a ‘secret’ album, recorded in 2007 and awaiting the finishing touches of vocals and mixing. We are told we can expect to hear many of these new tracks live at the show.

Austria‚Äôs black death metal band Belphegor (originally Betrayer) will be headlining the Triple Rock Social Club next Wednesday, August 24th.
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Austria‚Äôs Belphegor made a stop in Minneapolis on Wednesday night as part of the ‚ÄúConjuring the Dead‚Äù tour.

Abigail Williams

Abigail Williams is a black metal band originally from Phoenix, Arizona but currently based out of Olympia Washington. The band has been around since 2004 but have gone through constant line-up changes ever since their inception. The only original member left is singer/ guitarist Ken "Sorceron" Bergeron but if you aren't a diehard fan of the band, it's hard to tell because everything seems so together and perfect.

When Abigail Williams hit the scene, they had a very symphonic black metal sound to them but through the years they have started to lean more towards a purist black metal sound. It seems like they found their true sound on their third full length Becoming, which was released in 2012.

Their set on Wednesday night was full of the purist black metal sound that they have come to be known for. It was your typical black metal set with the distorted guitars and fast drum beats. The thing that set this band apart was Bergeron's distinct voice. When sound checking, he asked the tech to turn the reverb up as far as they could. This added an element of doom to their set and really made them stand out among a line-up of other legendary black metal bands.

One notable thing about their set is that there was no bass player. The bass parts were tracked through the speakers. Bergeron seemed to mention the absence by saying that the bass player sucked so they kicked him off of the tour but it was hard to tell if he was joking or serious.

Although their set was short (only about 35 minutes long) they filled it with heavy hitting songs that got the crowd moving. although they didn't announce any song titles, it was easy to tell that they were sticking with newer releases as the music had that pure black metal sound.

Origin

Kansas death metal band Origin seemed to be a favorite of the night throughout the crowd. This band is known for combining the harshness of death/black metal with unprecedented technicality.

It was hard to turn away from Mike Flores on the bass. The way his fingers rushed up and down the fretboard with the other hand plucking away at the strings was enough to make you jaw hit the floor. If you can get beyond that, you will notice just how fast drummer John Longstreth is playing his blast beats. Singer Jason Keyser growled his way through the set that was over all too quick (only 45 minutes).

Origin's latest release, Omnipresent, was released in 2014.

The ‚ÄúConjuring the Dead‚Äù tour was headlined by Austrian death-metal band Belphegor in support of their newest release Conjuring the Dead, which came out in August of 2014 on Nuclear Blast.

Belphegor at the Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (24 August 2016)

Canada‚Äôs Billy Talent (named after a character from Michael Turner‚Äôs novel Hard Core Logo) will be headlining the Varsity Theater on September 6th as part of their new album Afraid of Heights. With over 3 million albums sold internationally, expect a good singalong crowd at this upcoming show.

Bad Flower and The Dirty Nil to open. The latter is an Ontario three-piece with a debut record Higher Power on Dine Alone Records.

After the departure as singer and songwriter of Rilo Kiley, actress / musician Jenny Lewis struck it on her own with her solo record Rabbit Fur Coat with The Watson Twins (Chandra and Leigh Watson) in 2006. Lewis and the Watson Twins will doing a very special tour in celebration of the 10 Year Anniversary of the record at the State Theatre this upcoming September 6th.

With these record anniversary shows, they typically will play the entire album live, from start to finish. The encores are usually reserve for fan favorite songs or classic hits.

As usual: these theater shows will start on time, so show up early and get comfortable in your seat.

Like Ringo Deathstarr and Asia Global Media‚Äôs Ringgo Star, Atlanta‚Äôs Gringo Star is also named after the iconic Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.

Gringo Star will be headlining the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in St Paul this Labor Day, Monday, September 5th, touring in support of their recently released new album The Sides And In Between (available now on Nevado Music).

Coming up on September 5, 2016, the Melvins will play The 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA. The Melvins are touring behind their new album Basses Loaded, released in June of this year. Moshing is anticipated.

Opening for the Melvins is Helms Alee, whose new album Stillicide will be released a mere 3 days prior on September 2.

As a special thank you to their fans, Avenged Sevenfold will be playing a free show for their fans at the Hollywood Palladium on August 26th. It's also in celebration .‚Ä¶

So, what kind of concert venue does $1.1 billion dollars buy? ‚Äì

Turns out one with very mixed results, though the jury is still out and to be fair, it‚Äôs a football stadium first and foremost. But we did learn one thing- louder is definitely better.

Metallica headlined the very first rock show at the new US Bank Stadium, in front of over 50,000 (most in black t-shirts) and brought along openers Volbeat and Avenged Sevenfold.

Sonically, the stadium is boomy and echoes, like all large stadiums, but is a vast improvement over the Metrodome, especially closest to the floor and on the non-glass side of the ceiling, which has acoustic dampeners along the top trestles.

The sound mix of all three bands didn‚Äôt have a lot of subtlety, so all seemed to just turn things up and let it fly, to better results than the previous night‚Äôs Luke Bryan concert. Metallica, especially was loud and up front with their mix, leading residents over a mile away to post on social media that they could hear the show in their homes, over a mile away.

Danish hard rockers Volbeat got things started two hours after doors opening, with a 45min set of their unique mix of rock, metal and rockabilly, in support of sixth studio album, Seal the Deal & Let‚Äôs Boogie (on Republic/Universal), sealing the deal in the process, to be the first rock band to play in the mammoth structure.

While the swelling crowd on the floor had no problem seeing the band, the combination of early evening sunbeams shining in, and pumped-in dry ice fog, made the band hard to see from elsewhere in the stadium, for the majority of their set.

‚ÄúThank you for showing up early‚Äù, singer Michael Poulsen said before playing a verse from Johnny Cash‚Äôs ‚ÄòRing of Fire‚Äô, which quickly morphed into the similar sounding ‚ÄòSad Man‚Äôs Tongue‚Äô. ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs been a honor- please, please stay, there‚Äôs gonna be two other bands‚Äù, Poulsen joked before their finale of ‚ÄúStill Counting‚Äô, a 2012 song that topped Billboard‚Äôs Rock Chart when released.

Avenged Sevenfold was already familiar to the 1,500 or so that managed to get into their free show at First Avenue two nights prior, properly warming up ex-Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman, for the stadium-sized madness to come.

All the pyro they couldn‚Äôt use at that club gig, was on display for their hour-long set, with the landscape behind Wackerman ablaze and fireballs launching into the air, for much of their show.

The California band seemed returned to form, with singer M. Shadows stalking the stage from end to end, twin guitarists Zacky Vengeance and Synyster Gates (probably not their real names) playing effectively off each other, and Wackerman and bassist Johnny Christ holding down the bottom end.

Shadows wanted to re-title ‚ÄòHail to the King‚Äô to ‚ÄòHail to the Vikings‚Äô for the night, but didn‚Äôt realize there were probably more out-of-towners than locals in the crowd, who booed the notion down.

‚ÄòGod Hates Us‚Äô was played for the first time in four years, ‚ÄòBat Country‚Äô got even the most casual fan interested, and the set-closing ‚ÄòUnholy Confessions‚Äô was preluded by Shadows screaming, ‚Äúwe got a little bit left for you!‚Äù.

In the most timelessly cool fashion, Metallica took to the stage after the intro music of Led Zeppelin‚Äôs ‚ÄòImmigrant Song‚Äô (which the Vikings use constantly) and clip from The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, scored by the great Ennio Morricone.

Opening with the 1984 classic ‚ÄòCreeping Death‚Äô, the foursome went immediately for the throat, with the towering backdrop becoming a large multi-panel digital screen, often showing each of the four members, teeth grit, scowling, and hard at work.

With such a large stage, singer James Hetfield had multiple vocal mics positioned in the middle, on each side, and a few more in front of the extended catwalk area that went partially into the crowd (or Snakepit as they call it).

The 140 min. set was mostly hit-filled, which was more than all right with the now-rabid audience and ideal for a one-off show such as this one. ‚ÄòFor Whom the Bells Toll‚Äô kept momentum at breakneck, then ‚ÄòFuel‚Äô threw the throttle even higher. ‚ÄúWe are here to break this place in properly, with some volume not only up here, but out there", Hetfield said‚Äîtruer words were never spoken.

‚ÄòLeper Messiah‚Äô, a fan-selected song for the setlist sounded fresh, despite being thirty years old, and led into the first of two short solos (amusingly called ‚Äúdoodles‚Äù on the setlist) from guitarist Kirk Hammett. Hetfield would forget some of the song‚Äôs lyrics, but eventually catch himself seven songs later (‚Äúit‚Äôs never too late‚Äù), and sang the missing words to make up for it.

‚ÄòOne‚Äô remains an eight-minute epic, taken to a different level when stadium-sized, with lasers firing in all directions amid an animated wartime intro for the song. After asking how many in attendance had seen them at First Avenue in 1985, a blistering ‚ÄòSeek and Destroy‚Äô closed the main set, with Hetfield ad-libbing the opening line as ‚ÄúWe're scanning the scene in Minneapolis tonight‚Äù.

The faithful were rewarded with a four-song encore that began with the first live performance of new thrashy single, ‚ÄòHardwired‚Äô, from their tenth studio album Hardwired‚Ä¶ to Self-Destruct, due out Nov. 18 on the band‚Äôs own Blackened Recordings, as screens flashed macabre facial expressions overlaid on each of the band members.

‚ÄòWhiskey in the Jar‚Äô reminded Hetfield of late bassist Cliff Burton, saying ‚ÄúI know he‚Äôd be bouncing out there, if he was with you‚Äù and finale ‚ÄòEnter Sandman‚Äô brought hundreds of black, logo-emblazoned beach balls raining down on the crowd, followed by an impressive array of indoor fireworks to end the show.

A fitting end to a very loud evening, but loud is what Metallica does best, being perhaps the best there is at it.

Fans had been excited for Baroness‚Äô new album Purple when it came out in December of last year. Finally, those fans will get a chance to see the band perform the tracks
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Baroness was catapulted into the headlines in 2012 after they were in a notorious bus accident in England. There were no casualties but there were serious injuries which left the future of the band in question. Thankfully, Baroness got back on their feet and started playing again. Back in December they released their much anticipated album, Purple. They made a stop in Minneapolis Tuesday night and played to a full house who had been eagerly awaiting their return with the new music.

Pallbearer

Pallbearer was the sole opener of the show. The vocals seemed to be a bit sparser than Baroness but when there were vocals, they were beautiful. At one point, there were three vocals going on at once and it gave me the chills. Brett, the lead singer, had one of the most beautiful voices I had heard in a while. He has the subtlest, but best, vibrato I think any doom metal band could have and it made them stand out in a genre that is typically dark and full of growled lyrics.

Pallbearer announced that they have just finished recording a new full-length exactly two weeks ago and will be releasing it in the near future so stay tuned. They treated the audience to a little sneak peak of a song off the upcoming release and if you like what Pallbearer has put out there in the past, you are sure to love what is coming up!

Baroness captivated the audience through their fourteen song set and then finished with a much deserved two song encore. They played through songs that spanned their nearly ten-year career but, much to the crowd's delight, they seemed to focus on their newest release.

In between songs the band would play instrumental interludes that left the crowd guessing what song would come next. As soon as the crowd would catch onto what song was coming up, they would erupt with excitement.

The music was a bit on the sludgy / doom side but John Baizley‚Äôs voice has this sort of beauty to it that you don‚Äôt typically get with metal bands like this. His voice is unique in a way that as soon as you hear it, you know who it belongs to but it‚Äôs not in an obnoxious way. It doesn‚Äôt sound like he is forcing his voice to sound different than everyone else‚Äôs, it sounded natural and perfect.

When you take Baizley‚Äôs voice and match it with the intricate guitar work and the driving drum rhythms, you get something amazing. The music seems to match the artwork that I fell in love with. It was intricate and complicated. It made you think and analyze but at the same time, it was nothing short of beautiful.

Baizley is more than just the frontman of this amazing band. He is also an extremely talented artist who does all of Baroness' album art along with the artwork for many other bands. The first time I heard of Baroness was not because of the music but because of Baizley's artwork. The music seemed to match the artwork with the intricate designs and whimsical feeling behind it.